The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-11-16

EnC"', then Parsons
.W'un't you come insiieW sneerol the laS-
t,.i TO the reporters who had been observing
tho last toilet.
Win q crash which resourded through
The entire building, the heavy iron door
ri.s;d, anu presently the Jail officers, with
Tie fcur white shrouded figured in their
midst, disappeared around the turn Of tho
corridor.
"Oh, my God, my God" exclaimed poor
Sam F!elion, as his comrades disappeared
from his sight forever. Then he threw HIM
self into corner of hia cell, dropping to his
knees, hiding his face in his hands. Ills
powerful frame shook under the terrible
strain Of the moment with codvulsive sobs.
He was writhlng in agony. For moments
be remained in this attitude Of passionate
despair. Then the relief came. The great
strong man wept like a child. The specta-
tors stepped reverently aside before this
great paroxysm of grief.
Then the death march to the scaffold was
begun. A number of reporters and others
had gone into the east corridor and stood in
silent groups around the sctfaold, discuss
ing the hanging in undsrtones.
At u :4S the doomed men were in their
shrouds and bidding goodbye to those Of
their acquaintance among the deputies and
Jail officials.
On tho scaffold, while the caps were be-
ing adjusted, Spies said: "My silence is
more terrible than anything can say"
Fischer then, in rather loud voice, said {:
"This is the happiest moment Of my life.
Long life Anarchy
Parsons was the last to speak, or rather,
to attempt to speak. He said: MAY I be
allowed to speaki On! the shamelessness of
strangling free speech I-"but before he
could say more, the sheriff touched the
lever: "ciick" went the spring, and four
souls were launched into eternity.
The drop fell at 1904. The pulses Of all
four men had stopped beating, just thirteen
and one half minutes after the drop fell.
Crowds fingered in the vicinity Of the Jail
for one hour after. 1t is estimated that
from ten thousand to fifteen thousand people
were in the neighborhood They were a
heterogeneous mass, embracing almost
every nationality.
The bodies were lowered after hanging
for thirty minutes. Spies body was the
first to be taken down and lowered in the
coffin. The white cap covering his head
was drawn up some little distance, exposing
his neck with the rope frightened around the
skin 1t was with great difficulty that the
moose was loosened by deputy.
After much tugging the knot was slipped
and the white cap was taken off. Spies
face was covered with a greasy perspiration
and his mouth was open, showing teeth
somewhat discolored. There was no discol-
oration Of the face and the moose left no sign
or merk on his neck. Dr. Lewis placed his
6ngtv under the right side of the neck and
pressed in. "Spies died by strangulation,"
he said, shortly. 1.-THE neck is not broken" !"
Instantly the cap was replaced, and the
cover of the coffin was screwed down
As soon as the coffin lid had been ad-
iusted Fischer's body was lowered and pre-
ps..ed for encasement. His long neck
showed q blue-black line of discoloration,
with a slight coagulation under the left ear.
Engels body was warm, although his hands
showed great discoloration. The strain on
bis handouts had been so severe as to imbed
the irons III the flesh
the somewhat frail form Of Albert Par
sons was easily handled. 1t is given out
that S5Oi lad been offered for the clothes
which Parsons wore at the hanging.
The body Of Spies was removed at ten
minutes before o'clock, and the others
were delivered few minutes later
All afternoon the streets in front of the
various newspaper offices were crowded
with people reading the bulletins. the
crowds flied the streets so completely that
it was almost impossible to get through.
Business was almost completely suspended.
There seems to be feeling Of relief since
the hanging is over, and everybody feels
hat the law has been vindicat ed.
After tho bodies Of Engel and Lingg had
been elnbalmed last night, they were placed
in rlein, unpretentious cotfins and taken to
the residence and store Of Mrs. Engel.
Hundreds OF friends of the dead men filed
nto and out of the little shop and took a
last look at the faces. At one end of the
store Mrs. Engel cat with eyes red with
weeping and her face shrouded in black
veil Eda Mueller, too, sat sobbing beside
the casket, which held all that remained on
earth of her lover. Her face was pale as
death.
Further up Milwaukee avenue at No. sos,
Is another undertaker's shop, where the
bodies of Spies, Parsons and Fischer were
cared for. Mrs. Parsons was the most
noticeable persons there. A woman clothed
in black, with face covered by heavy veil,
held Mrs. Parsons hand. This was Mrs.
Van Zandt, mother of Spies proxy wife,
and she was as deeply affected as the Anar-
chists' wives.
A small bowed figure sat alone in corner
on low stool It was Mrs. Spies, Augusts
mother She rocked to and fro in an agony
of grief, strangely at variance with the
actions OF Mrs Parsons, who sat bolt up
rip ht, and looked toward where the body of
her husband lay Her eyes seemed to have
lost the power Of weeping She sat with
her lips moving, as though uttering some
resolve, and looked as though there was
something in the future to anticipate.
Louis Lingg Suicides.
CHICAGO, Nov. 11.-At S:45 yesterday
morning Louis Lingg attempted suicide
in his cell. The rGM
weapon of destruc- $EA2&g@Sh
tion was q dyna- E
mite cartridge, a
which was con- ~ @ az
cealed in tallow Y 81
m Nj